Traction driving means for vehicles



1,637,533 1927- H; E. PEARSON TRACTION DRIVING MEANS FOR VEHICLES Filed June 923 X7- TOR/V5217 1 UNIT so STA Patented Aug. 2,1927.

res PATENT OFFICE. 1

HER Aiv E. rnansoiv, or wAYzA'ra, MINNESOTA.

Application filed June 8,

' part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a touring car equipped with runners and having my improved traction driving means applied thereto, taken on the section line 11 of Figure 2; T

Figure 2 is aplan view with the body of the vehicle'removed;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 2.

In the drawing:

2 represents the body of any preferred style of touring car having a forward axle 3, a rear axle 1 and forward spindles 5 on which are mountedrunnersfi in place of the usual wheels. These runners are oscillated on a vertical axis to steer the machine by the usual. steering mechanism connected with the spindles. 37 represents the frame or chassis of the car in which is mounted a source of motor power such as an internal combustion engine 8 having a driving shaft 9 extending back to a differential 10 within the housing 11 of the rear axle. v

Brake drums 12 having sprockets 13 are secured to the rear axle in place of the usual rear wheels, bymeans ofintegral hubs 15, as shown in Figure 3. Runners 14, similar to the onesprovided at the forward end of I the car, are mounted upon the 'hubs'l3r In the rear of. the car is a driven shaft or axle 16 having driving connections withthe rear axle of the car through sprocket chains 17 so that when power is applied to the rear axle it will be transmitted to the shaft or axle 16. Traction wheels 18 are mounted on the axle 16 and are adapted to afford suflicient traction to drive the machine. Thrust bars 19 are connected to the rear, axle 16 and. project forwardly under the car and are mounted on tran v r e thrust Shaft 9.

arms 24 secured to the shaft 20.

TRACTION DRIVING MEANS ron vnxironns.

1923; Serial 10.; 644,147.

which has hearings in the frame of the car at tlie'forward middle portion thereof.

Bell cranks 21 are looselymountedon the axle housing 11and have one arm connected by links 22" with the rear portion of the thrust barsltl; the other arms of said cell cranks depending below the rear axle of the car and are connected by rods 23 with crank shaft, a lever 25 is mounted and provided with a latch for movement over a quadrant 26. The oscillation of the lever functions-to raise and lower'the thrust bars 19 and engage the traction wheels with the ground or lift them out of contact therewith. \Vhen power is applied to the axle 16 to drive the traction wheels the forward thrust will be transmit tedto the forward portion of the vehicle and the strain thereon will be more evenly distributed and it will rideeasicr and can be guided and controlled with less effort on the part of the driver. Also when it is desired from the rear axle of the car, but it will.

be understood that a gear mechanism may be substituted for this drive, if preferred.

I claim as my invention: 1. The combination with a vehicle having forward and rear axles and runners thereon and a source of motor power having a driving connection with said rear axle, a driven axle' in the rear of said rear axle having driving connections therewith, and traction wheels for said driven axle, thrust bars connected with said driven axle and extending forwardly therefrom, a shaft mounted 1n.

said'vehicl-e near the forward port-ion there- On this ofand connected with the forward ends of said thrust bars, said shaftv having crank arms, a lever for rocking said shaft, bell cranks loosely mounted on said vehicle and having one arm plvotally link-connected with said thrustbars and adapted to hold said bars and wheels in a depressed position and i the other arms of said bell cranks being con nected with said crank arms.

2. The combination with a vehicle having forward and rear axles and runners thereon I driving connections therewith, and traction wheels for said driven axle, thrust bars con nected with said driven axle and extending forwardly therefrom beneath said rear axle, a shaft mounted transversely in the forward portion of the vehicle and having'me'ans for connection with the forward ends of said thrust bars bell cranks loosely mounted on the housing of said rear axle, linksconnecting one ofthe arms of said hell cranks with said'thrust bars to exert a downward thrust thereon in the rear of and near said rear axle, the other arms of said bell cranks de said hell cranks and force said thrust bars and the traction wheels downwardly.

3. In combination a motor driven vehicle having runners in lieu of wheels and including a rear axle having the usual driving means, an auxiliary axle in the rear of the rear axle having traction wheels, driving bars, and means connecting the other arms of the bellcranks, for rocking the cranks.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of June, 1923.

HERB IAN 'E. PEARSON. 

